New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-08-21
BROOKLYN HALL OF RECORDS
A FINE NEW FIREPRooF STRUCTURE.
HOW THE CITY HAS BEEN PROVIDED WITH PUBLIC
BUILDINGS

FINE NEW FIREPROOF STRUCIUhE.
HOW THE CITY HAS BEEN PROVIDED WITH PUBLIC
BUILDINGS.
The hundreds of Thousands of deeds mortgages,
wills and official documents relating to the property
in Brooklyn and the rest OF Kings County, which
have been housed in oramped, inconveniont and not
wholly safe quarters In the County Court House since
il was built quarter of century ago will hereafter
be securely cared for in the commodons hreproof
structure Just erected in Brooklyn This new flal OF
Records at Fultonst and Boerum place. contains the
offices of the Surrogate County Clerk and Register OF
Deeds It's completion gives Brooklyn full set of
public buildings for city and county purposes, and
when the Federal building now under way is finished
all the public Offices will be adequately provided for.
The Brooklyn public buildings have bad peculiar
history. Up to 1882 two years before the ncorpora-
ton of the city, the county seat was in the village
Flathush and the cOur house and jail stood near
the old Dutch Church, which tor many years the
ecclesiastical centre OF the county In more remote
times public whipping post and a pair OF stocks
stood near the Court House and aided In the admins
tration of Justice among the Dutch farmers and the
English settlers who mingled with them after the
occupation of the town by British troops in R~volu
tionary times In tue first third OF this century the
village Brooklyn outgrew Flatbush and occurred Tor
itself the administration OF the county government
and the courts of law The village trustees held their
meetings In the Apprentices Library in Cranbeiry-st,
which survives in the Brooklyn Institute, and there
tho first courts were held In Brooklyn. Even when
their offices in the library building. In 1885 Ci'y
Hall was projected. The triangular piece OF ground
bounded by Fulton, Court and Jorsemon sts which
contains the site of the present City Hall
and City Hall Park was secured. Inc
plans were made for immense build
ing TO cover the entire plot and afford room Tor all the
cty and county offices and tie courts tor many yeais.
Foundations were LAID and the walls were raised to
the height of ten feet when the panic OF 1857 oc-
CURED. The effect OF this was disastrous to the
City Hall to Ot hal
million OF dollars for the infant municipality, barely
three years old. The work was stepped and the
matter renamed in allegiance for ten years.
Then modified plans were adopted, the grass-grown
walls of the structure originally designed were torn
down. and the present sdiace with its Ionic portico
and severely classic architecture built from the
white marble which had been cut In Westminster
County for the bu lding first planned Besides ac-
commodang the city officers some OF the courts were
held in the building until 1862, when the county
erected the Court House the site where tor any
wears Du Flon's Military Garden had Afforded lpace
of amusement for the residents of the growing city
Then the county records which had rapidly Increased
from the time when they were transferred TO Brook
lyn from Flathush, removed from the City Hall
to the then ample quarters in the front portion OF the
spacious Court House. In 1875 the City Hall was
found be small tor the ctys needs and an annex
In the shape of the Municipal Department Building,
on the opposite sside of JOralemOnst, was built tor
the City Works, Tax, Health. Police and Assessment
Departments. In the same way the Court House has
become too small for the growing needs CT the CON-
munity, and the Hall OF Records Is an annex to
II. The county owned the plot OF ground adjoining
the Court House, and the halt OF this fronting on
Fulton st. the edi6ce stands. Ground room re-
mains any future additions which may be ncedIul.
The new edi6ce Is substantially built aud Is de-
signed to protect in secure manner as possible the
valuable records now hle and those which Will Do
added to them in coming years The foundations are
of broken stone and laid deep In the earth and
I'D wifi ron beams
front and on the east side, facing Fultonst. aud
Boerun place, are of white limestone, ms tching the
marble of the adjacent Court House. The rear and
west walls are Of brick The architecture is OF the
classic Renass period and handsome facade has
been gwen to the edifce From the front OF 1t one
looks across Fulton.st. and down Adamsst. and the
building presents tine appearance from distance
The frontage is 1C2 feet and the depth 1872 The
original appropriation tor the building was 10000
which did not cover the cost Of furnishing 1t.
A handsome portico covers the main entrance, and
there Is also a side entrance BVerum place With
in a wide hall divides the building equally. On the
right are the offices devoted 10 the records OF the
County Clerk and the desks OF his stan OF assistants
the lett tho Surrogates office, the quarters
of his chief clerk, the Office for the filing OF wills and
the court room where Will contests will be decided.
In front OF the Surrog atesoce is room Tor the head
quarters of the keeper Of the building just within
the entrance is square court lighted by dome In the
roof and Oh either side the staircases TO the
second floor On this the volumInous records Of the
Registers Office including maps and deeds, are filed
and the offices devoted to the of the corps of
clerks and searohers who guard the titles TO property
assessed at many millions OF dollais On the third
floor rooms have been allotted to the Offices OF the
Second Brigade n. G.. n. as their headquarters,
and the keeper and hs family have their hone there
The building s furnished TOR use and not Tor beauty
The hoor OF the main hail Is OF tiles, tue walls are
finished In white plaster ana the sarcases are OF iron
with slate treads The woodwork Is oil oak. Besides
the wooden doors each office mas iron outer door,
painted to match the wood, which rolls out of sight
when the office is open. The walls and ceilings are all
of porous brick, which Is made by mixing sa wdust
with the clay and then burning out the sawdust in the
kilDs and WOOD s used In the construction OF the
building save for doors and castings. Zach window
has an iron shutter which rolls down on the inside.
The furniture OF all the Offices IL OF highly polished
ash Ii Ia durable and will continue to look better the
longer IL s used Ample space has been provided Tor
the records in each of the offices tor many years and
every possible arrangement Tor convenience and the
dispatch of public business has beeh provided In
both the Surrogates and the County Clerks Offices
huge vaults lined with iron and provided with
burglar proof and hre-proof doors arc provided tor
specially valuable documents The building is heated
with steam and lighted with gas In order TO facl-
tate the removal of records from the former Office OF
Re lister Murtha In the Court House doorway was
left the wall OF the building and bridge has
been thrown to the doining building, where
an opening made in the wall OF the Registers
Office Through this the. records have been trans
ferred 10 the new quarters. and The clerks and
searchers already at work there. The contents OF
the shelves and galleries in the Surrogate's aud
County Clerks Offices Will shortly be transferred to
the new building likewise, and with the resumption
of activity in legal circles after tho summer vacation
tho la will have to find their way to new places
for iiling important papers. Then rearraDgement
will be made in the Court House. and the District
Attorney Countv Treasurer, SuperytSorat Large and
other officials will have room than formerly, and
the courts will not be cramped heretofore The
new building viii add greatly TO the facilities Tor the
transaction of legal business in the third city OF the
country.
BOOK COLLECTORS STRATEGY
FrOnl The JhtLddelDkiQ NtDs.